Written questions by Hodgson.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of measures to reduce child poverty on children in Washington and Gateshead South constituency.

Estimates of the total impact on low income poverty levels, and the number of children gaining, from the main changes included in the strategy for the United Kingdom as a whole are available here: Child Poverty Strategy: Impact on low income poverty levels and children gaining in the UK: December 2025 - GOV.UK. Across the United Kingdom, the measures set out in the strategy are expected to reduce the number of children in poverty by 550,000 in the final year of this Parliament, compared to our estimates without these measures. Estimates for the number of children and households that are expected to gain from the removal of two-child limit policy at constituency level are available here: Poverty impacts of social security changes at Budget 2025 - GOV.UK. The number of children who are expected to gain from the removal of the two-child limit policy in the Washington and Gateshead South constituency is 2,620.

How many pensioners in Washington and Gateshead South constituency are covered by the pension triple lock.

Caseload statistics for State Pensions are available via Stat-Xplore - Log in. The latest published data currently relate to the quarter ending May 2025. The State Pensions Triple Lock applies to recipients of the core element of State Pension. Based on latest data, the number of pensioners resident in the Washington and Gateshead South constituency who are in receipt of the State Pension, and therefore covered by the Triple Lock, is 20,085. This total has been adjusted to exclude a very small number of individuals, who receive only Graduated Retirement Benefit, a category of the Pre-2016 State Pension system, as such payments are uprated using CPI. The constituency referenced above encompasses Gateshead South as well as the entire Washington area, including Washington Central, Washington South, Washington North, Washington East and Washington West.

Within Washington and Gateshead South constituency in the most recent 12 months for which data is available, what is the total sum of money resulting from a) deductions, and b) sanctions applied to Universal Credit claims.

a) Universal Credit deductions statistics are published quarterly with the latest figures available in table 6, row 216 in Universal Credit deductions statistics, September 2024 to August 2025, supplementary data tables, at Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 9 October 2025 - GOV.UKb) The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Whether her Department has provided guidance to Personal Independence Payment assessors on the impact of surgical mesh on women's ability to work.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit for people with a long-term health condition or impairment, whether physical, sensory, mental, cognitive, intellectual, or any combination of these. It is paid to contribute to the extra costs that disabled people may face, to help them lead full, active and independent lives. PIP can be paid to those who are in full or part-time work as well as those out of work. From 09 September 2024 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) took ownership of the core training and guidance material (CTGM) for the Health Assessment Advisory Service (HAAS); this is provided by DWP to the HAAS assessment suppliers (AS). AS must use the material to inform the development of their final training product(s) and use all content from CTGM that relates to specific condition(s) and assessment policy. DWP has provided AS with CTGM on mesh injury/implants. This contains clinical and functional information relevant to the condition and is quality assured to ensure its accuracy from both a clinical and policy perspective.